Scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system, according to the latest IPCC Report. Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion — such as continued…

Scientists describe how Antarctic fishes with and without hemoglobin react to acute thermal stress. The responses may help the fish withstand the impacts of climate change. Yet dipping below the waves, the Southern Ocean teems with biodiversity: vibrant swaths of sea ice algae and cyanobacteria, swarming krill and crustaceans, bristling kelp forests, gigantic polar sea…

When did populations of Homo sapiens first arrive in China and what happened when they encountered the Denisovans or Neanderthals who lived there? A new study opens a window into hunter-gatherer lifestyles 40,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations at the site of Xiamabei in the Nihewan Basin of northern China have revealed the presence of innovative…

Bioplastics — biodegradable plastics made from biological substances rather than petroleum — can be created in a more economical and environmentally friendly way from the byproducts of corn stubble, grasses and mesquite agricultural production, according to a new study. This new approach involves a «plug-in» preconditioning process, a simple adjustment for biofuel refineries, said Joshua…

The team believes that evacuation efforts and media coverage of local wildfires may have helped protect residents from adverse health effects of smoke exposure as well as direct impacts of the fires. Researchers at Colorado State University, curious about the health effects from smoke from large wildfires across the Western United States, analyzed six years…

A massive prospective spill from a deserted oil tanker in the Red Sea could lead to catastrophic public health effects in war-torn Yemen and neighboring countries unless urgent action is taken, according to a new study. The FSO Safer (pronounced with a short «a»), located approximately 5 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen, contains…

With water scarcity intensifying, wastewater treatment and reuse are gaining popularity. But some methods for killing microbes in wastewater create disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that could be harmful to human health. Now researchers have found that ozone treatment and subsequent chlorination can convert trace amounts of some pharmaceuticals in wastewater into DBPs called halonitromethanes. The combination…

The production of renewable energy is increasing every year. But after analyzing the growth rates of wind and solar power in 60 countries, researchers conclude that virtually no country is moving sufficiently fast to avoid global warming of 1.5°C or even 2°C. The article «National growth dynamics of wind and solar power compared to the…

Researchers describe a novel method for detecting viruses like Ebola virus (EBOV) and SARS CoV-2. In a new study, Chao Wang, a researcher at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute and School of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering, along with ASU colleagues and collaborators at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle describe a novel method for…

Researchers have discovered a new method to treat human herpes viruses. The new broad-spectrum method targets physical properties in the genome of the virus rather than viral proteins, which have previously been targeted. The treatment consists of new molecules that penetrate the protein shell of the virus and prevent genes from leaving the virus to…